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    Home » Meal Planning

    The Ultimate Fall List of Meals for Dinner

    Published: Sep 18, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    collage of fall dinners with text overlay.

    Do you wish for fresh inspiration? Some tasty dinner ideas for fall? Look no further. Check out this ultimate list of meals for dinner to make your fall meal planning easier.

    Whether you have a craving for a savory Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Olives or a simple dinner of Game Day Appetizers, keeping a list of meals for dinner that you know your family loves is always a winning strategy. Start your list today for easy meal planning over the coming months.

    finished pot roast on white platter with potatoes near gravy boat and salad bowl. this …
    Jump to:
    • Why It Matters
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Football Food
    • Pasta Night
    • Casseroles
    • Sandwiches
    • Pizza Night
    • Crockpot Meals
    • Share your faves!

    Fall has arrived! And with it, there’s a decided change of pace — and of taste!

    The sparkling beverages and light meals that were oh-so-appealing just a few weeks ago don’t seem so enticing now that the days are shortening and a chill has hit the air.

    Bring on the warm cuppa and the hearty main dishes!

    As your days start to fill up and fall into a rhythm, you may feel the need to reestablish some regular, no brainer meal plans, especially geared toward this season.

    One thing that can really speed up your meal planning is the practice of dinner theme nights and keeping a list of meals for dinner that you can draw on in the coming weeks. When you start cataloging your family favorites, meal planning is a snap.

    Why It Matters

    It saves time. When you keep a list of favorite meal ideas, you don’t have to wander around the house asking people what they want for dinner. Meal planning is as simple as selecting a few different themes to plan your week around and choosing recipes you know are already approved.

    It saves money. Keeping a catalog of favorite meals can help you identify which pantry staples to keep on hand. Not only will this save you time, but it can also save you money since you’ll often have whatever you need in the cupboard all ready.

    Consider these fall recipes to add to your list of meals for dinner.

    Soups, Stews, and Chilis

    creamy chicken noodle soup in a large black pot with black ladle.

    Soup is good food. As are stews and chilis. They are easy to prepare, can be made with pantry staples and even leftovers, and they easily stretch to feed a crowd.

    While Soup Night may be greeted with the one side eye if you’ve got a picky eater, there’s no reason to wimp out when it comes to serving soup, a filling and healthy meal that is cheap and easy to pull off.

    That said, there’s a whole world of soups, stews, and chilis to explore with your people.

    Add some of these tried and true favorites to your list of meals for dinner:

    • overhead shot of tomato soup in black bowl with basil garnish.
      Instant Pot Tomato Soup
    • overhead shot of potato soup in black bowl on wooden board.
      Instant Pot Potato Soup
    • close-up of cream of celery soup in a jar with celery leaves behind.
      Homemade Cream of Celery Soup Recipe
    • close up of turkey and rice soup in black bowl on a wooden board.
      Turkey and Rice Soup
    • pork chili in a bowl marked ENJOY with a plate of tortilla chips.
      Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin (91 cents/serving)
    • chili with toppings in white bowl.
      What to Serve with Chili: 20+ Toppings, Bases, & Sides
    • overhead shot of beef stew with mushrooms and olives and a sprig of rosemary, all in a black bowl.
      Mushroom Beef Stew with Kalamata Olives
    • close-up of soup tureen filled with roast vegetable soup near a platter of bread.
      Roast Vegetable Soup

    Football Food

    woman in chargers jersey holding basket with grilled brat in bun.

    Fall marks the signal of game days, game nights, and games all the live-long-day. If your people are sports fans, then you really need to pay better attention to the day of the week, especially when you’re meal planning.

    While you can’t plan game day food Sunday, Monday, AND Thursday, you might want to plan for at least one meal that caters to game watching.

    Consider something easily portable, not too messy, kind of on the munchy side of things. And if you aren’t football fans, don’t sweat it. These are good eats regardless!

    • close up of platter of crockpot ham with cranberry and parsley garnish.
      Slow Cooker Ham
    • the finished plate of loaded nachos.
      Nacho Bar
    • cooked taco meat in oval dish with taco toppings nearby.
      Easy Homemade Taco Meat
    • greek pizza baked and sliced on white cutting board.
      Easy Greek Pizza Recipe
    • wedges of goat cheese pizza on white plate.
      Goat Cheese Pizza
    • goblets of raspberry sherbet punch on a white table.
      Sherbet Punch
    • close up of unsliced Thai chicken pizza.
      Thai Chicken Pizza
    • plain round of whole wheat pizza dough on a screen.
      Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

    Pasta Night

    stirring a large bowl of antipasto pasta salad in a large white bowl.

    Most kids really do love pasta. And so should parents! It’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s filling.

    Even better you can customize it to suit your preferences at the same time as allow the children their simpler tastes. Make one batch of noodles and then vary the toppings and sauces. A Pasta Salad Bar is super easy to do.

    Here are some favorite pasta dishes to add to your list of meals for dinner:

    • spoonful of pasta over larger bowl of instant pot pasta.
      Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage & Cheese
    • spaghetti sauce in souper cubes to be frozen for later.
      Can you freeze spaghetti sauce?
    • cream cheese pasta in serving bowl next to parmesan and fork and spoon.
      Cream Cheese Pasta
    • two meal prep containers with lemon orzo salad.
      Lemon Orzo Salad
    • close-up view of skillet full of creamy garlic shrimp pasta topped with fresh parsley.
      Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
    • alphabet soup in black bowl marked ENJOY with plate of saltines.
      Alphabet Soup (43 cents/cup)
    • close up of pasta salad with tortellini in black bowl.
      Pasta Salad with Tortellini
    • pesto pasta salad in large white bowl on blue striped cloth.
      Pesto Pasta Salad with Cranberries & Feta (60 cents/serving)

    Casseroles

    white gratin dish with two cheese enchiladas topped with olives and green onions next to fork and dish of sour cream on the table.

    It’s been awhile since you’ve really hunkered down with casseroles, hasn’t it? Thank goodness for fall when it’s totally appropriate to serve “hot dish” for supper.

    One-dish meals full of flavor? Yes, please! I think it’s time to whip up a bunch for the freezer!

    Casseroles are comfort food that is easy to make ahead and freeze. Make several at once to stash away for later. And you can even take a meal to friends.

    Consider adding these delicious casseroles to your list of meals for dinner:

    • close up of bite of chicken enchilada on fork on plate of enchiladas.
      Green Chicken Enchiladas with Cream Cheese
    • close up of a scoop of mashed potato casserole on a flowered dinner plate.
      Mashed Potato Casserole (41 cents/serving)
    • spoon in dish of pot pie
      Single Crust Pot Pie (77 cents/serving)
    • gratin dish with shell pasta stuffed with chicken and cream cheese topped with sauce and cheese.
      Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
    • closeup of cheesy hashbrown casserole on a dinner plate.
      Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole Recipe (44 cents/serving)
    • white gratin dish with two cheese enchiladas topped with olives and green onions next to fork and dish of sour cream on the table.
      Cheese Enchilada Recipe (54 cents/serving)
    • single serve green rectangle dish with chicken divan topped with breadcrumbs.
      Easy Chicken Divan with Curry (79 cents/serving)
    • chicken enchilada bake on plate
      Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole (63 cents/serving)

    Sandwiches

    turkey burger loaded with tomato, lettuce, chipotle mayo, and blue cheese on homemade bun.

    While spring and summer are apt times to serve a cold sandwich bar, you might want to heat things up with hot sandwiches.

    Whether you grill up burgers or steak or cook up a sandwich filling in the slow cooker or instant pot, having a hot filling can make sandwiches a lot more fun in the fall months.

    Try these out and see what makes the list:

    • two halves of a tuna sandwich, stacked on a white plate, cut side facing the camera.
      How to Make the Best Tuna Sandwich
    • overhead shot of open faced cucumber sandwiches.
      Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
    • overhead shot of cranberry chicken salad in bowl with red spatula.
      Cranberry Chicken Salad
    • stack of three turkey pesto sandwiches on wood cutting board.
      Hot Turkey Pesto Sandwiches
    • two air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches in basket.
      Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
    • close up of cut side of two sandwiches stacked with cheese pulls and pesto showing.
      Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
    • in front of a black backdrop are two portions of baguette sandwich with the chipotle mayo evident in a blob on the side.
      Turkey Avocado Baguette Sandwich
    • cut french dip sandwich on square plate with cup of jus and waffle fries.
      Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

    Pizza Night

    four slices of supreme pizza on a white plate on a black table top.

    Homemade pizza is incredibly easy to prepare, perfect for Friday nights. Making pizza at home is not rocket science and is sure to be a not-to-be-missed meal on the calendar.

    One of the best things going for pizza — besides the fact that it’s PIZZA! — is that you can top it with little bits of leftover meat, veg, and cheese from other meals throughout the week. It’s a perfect catch-all supper.

    Be sure to include a weekly pizza night to your list of meals for dinner:

    • veggie platter alongside platter of mini pizzas with a plate dished up.
      Here’s What to Serve with Pizza!
    • mini pizzas on a white rectangular tray on a black table.
      Easy Mini Pizza Recipe (Freezer-friendly)
    • pizza wrapped in plastic for freezing.
      Can you freeze pizza?
    • pizza freezer kit in gallon size ziptop bag.
      Freezer Meal Pizza Kits
    • overhead of tortilla pizza on screen.
      Tortilla Pizza (52 cents each)
    • overhead shot of english muffin pizzas, some pepperoni some cheese, on a wooden board.
      English Muffin Pizza Recipe
    • margherita flatbread pizza cut into wedges on a platter.
      Margherita Flatbread Pizza
    • sourdough pizza dough balls on floured surface.
      Sourdough Pizza Crust (60 cents/pizza)

    Crockpot Meals

    stacked red enchiladas in a round slow cooker

    It may be hard to say goodby to summer, but it’s great to say hello to fall — particularly when there are so many tasty dinner ideas to make the most of the season.

    The slow cooker, while a year-round friend, is particularly welcome when cooler temps arrive since braises and hearty meat dishes can warm us up. There’s a whole host of cheap crock pot meals to include in your list of go-to dinners.

    • overhead shot of bowl of spaghetti with crock pot sauce.
      Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
    • clear glass mug of crockpot hot chocolate on black table.
      Crock Pot Hot Chocolate
    • overhead shot of slow cooker potatoes on square white plate with small tongs.
      Slow Cooker Potatoes
    • shredded beef tacos in metal holder on white plate.
      Shredded Beef Tacos
    • slice of chocolate cheesecake on a flowered plate.
      Slow Cooker Chocolate Cheesecake
    • golden brown turkey stock in a large 8-cup glass measure.
      How to Make Stock From Turkey
    • shredded beef scooped up on a fork suspended over a serving dish of the meat near the instant pot.
      Shredded Beef Recipe (Crock Pot or Instant Pot)
    • adding the beans, chiles, tomatoes, and pork and onion mixture to the crockpot.
      Cheap Crock Pot Meals You’ll Actually Love

    Share your faves!

    What’s on your list of meals for dinner? Drop a comment below and share what’s a favorite meal of yours for fall.

    This post was originally published on September 18, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Comments

    1. Denise

      September 19, 2022 at 10:29 am

      I’m old school and prefer printed plans and recipes. I would be willing to pay for an ebook that I can print with all these recipes included. Would you consider assembling an ebook or PDF?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 21, 2022 at 10:46 am

        Hey Denise, please check out our store. We have loads of meal plans for sale: https://learn.goodcheapeats.com/product-category/meal-plans/

        Reply
    2. SharonMarie @ kitchengrapevine.com

      September 20, 2011 at 8:00 am

      Love, love, love fall and home cooking. My favorite food for fall is a yummy warm apple crisp. I also love to make soups, Chili and Broccoli with Cheese being the favorites!! The cool crisp air of fall just puts me into the mood to cook!

      Reply
    3. [email protected] The Dollar Hollering Homemaker

      September 19, 2011 at 2:29 pm

      We’ve been indulging in homemade caramel apple cider, and I’m excited about getting back to baking…

      Reply
    4. Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama

      September 19, 2011 at 11:08 am

      My 3-year-old hates soup. I still serve it a few times a week and she’ll sigh and pick through a few bites, usually. The rest of us really like it, so she has to deal. 🙂

      Surprisingly I did a chicken and bacon green salad over the weekend and everyone ate it. Not really “fall” but a new one for us. My 2-year-old loved the homemade (very garlicky) dressing and asked for more twice!

      Family favorites include pork chops and rice, pizza, roast chicken (tonight!), and tacos. Most of these make regular appearances on our meal plan. Taco salad is our go-to meal if we don’t have a plan.

      It’s unfortunate, but I LOVE complex flavors and gourmet foods and I enjoy making them. But for the most part no one else will eat them! Oh well…every now and then I make them anyway. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 20, 2011 at 7:42 am

        I try to make recipes that I can doctor up for myself after I serve the others. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Beth

      September 19, 2011 at 10:04 am

      I love this post as I am most in my cooking element during the autumn and winter.

      Have you ever tried making your own enchilada sauce? I experimented with it this last batch of freezer cooking because I figured out my kids didn’t like enchiladas because the TJ’s sauce I was using is too spicy. The red sauce went over well and I haven’t tried the roasted salsa verde version yet (yes, I know. Not technically enchilada sauce. :)) If you make your own I’d love to see a recipe.

      Admittedly, this made enchiladas even more of an ordeal. Between homemade refried beans, chicken I thawed, brined, roasted and shredded, greens from the Farmer’s Market I snuck in, and shredding my own cheese, adding homemade sauce to the mix made it a little crazy. Then there’s the matter of only one pan to freeze them in so I had to do batches. I think it took me 3 days to get all that done!

      Reply
    6. Lucky

      September 19, 2011 at 7:25 am

      I’m making taco soup tonight — my picky son will usually eat some if I give him some cheese to sprinkle on top and crackers on the side. DH will eat it if I have a loaf of bread for dipping and either homemade iced tea or lemonade for drinking.

      Reply
    7. Barb @ A Life in Balance

      September 19, 2011 at 2:30 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for the inspiration! I had 2 soups on the menu last fall and winter – chicken stew and tomato with pasta. I love soups, however, we just never got around to serving them.

      On Friday nights, I’ve been switching back and forth between homemade pizza and homemade calzones. The kids love to help with both, and as long as I plan the time to make them, we’re usually fine. I do need to make the dough early in the day because I’m exhausted by the end of the day.

      Reply
    8. Heather

      September 18, 2011 at 6:42 pm

      What a great post! I am printing most of these recipes. Your link to the roasted vegetable soup isn’t working though and googling didn’t help me. Can you check your link?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 18, 2011 at 6:49 pm

        It should work now. Thanks!

        Reply
    9. Liz

      September 18, 2011 at 6:05 pm

      I don’t usually cook a lot of soup but I’ve got a carcass in the freezer (a turkey carcass that is) and will be trying my hand at turkey soup. My kids love potato soup so that’s the one that we normally serve. While I’m dreading winter I’m looking forward to pulling out our winter menu also.

      Reply
    10. renee @ FIMBY

      September 18, 2011 at 4:24 pm

      Thanks for the linky love. We eat a lot of soup here in the fall and winter.

      Reply
    11. Angela

      September 18, 2011 at 3:04 pm

      We had our first pot of chili this weekend. Temps dipped into the 60s at night and humidity was low, which meant it felt MUCH cooler than it has been feeling – a welcome relief!

      I love soup night too…and it will begin a regular appearance once it cools off a little more.

      Reply
    12. carmen @ life blessons

      September 18, 2011 at 1:39 pm

      Mmm, I love a good chili come autumn! I like your idea of 2 soups per week. I don’t make them that often, but when I do, my favorite kind to make is with sweet potatoes and black beans. (Here’s the recipe if you’re interested in adding a healthy vegetarian option to your rotation!)

      Reply
    13. Shannon

      September 18, 2011 at 1:28 pm

      On Friday nights, I am going to be alternating breakfast for dinner and pizza.

      Reply
    14. karen

      September 18, 2011 at 12:25 pm

      On the soup issue–my kids (ages 6 and 3) love roasted butternut squash/sweet potato soup and lentil soup. Easy, inexpensive, and good for you. To get little kids to eat soup, I often serve it in mugs (it’s more fun that way) or with a straw (to slurp up broth).

      Reply
      • Carrie

        September 18, 2011 at 12:32 pm

        Float some goldfish crackers or other kid sized munchies on top for even more kid appeal!

        Reply
        • Jessica Fisher

          November 10, 2013 at 12:49 pm

          Oyster crackers are good, too.

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget.

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